


Stop Teasing Me

by merry_amelie



Series: Galactic Actors [1]
Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Humor, M/M, Parody, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-07-21
Updated: 2001-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-12 01:16:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4459685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merry_amelie/pseuds/merry_amelie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian teases Will once too often.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stop Teasing Me

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback: Is treasured at merryamelie@aol.com (or leave a comment).
> 
> Disclaimer: Mr. Lucas owns everything Star Wars. I'm not making any money.
> 
> Many thanks to Mrs. Hamill for originating Will and Ian, and to Emrin for continuing their adventures.
> 
> Other stories in the Heroes of the Galaxy universe:  
> [Riding the Wheel of If: Episode Sixteen](http://hawksong.com/~momskitchen/Wheel_stories/WoI_16.htm) by MrsHamill  
> [Heroes of the Galaxy](http://www.trinityslash.com/emrin_annie/Heroes_Galaxy.html) by Emrin Alexander

  
  
[Mesdea](http://mesdea.tumblr.com/)'s beautiful manip  


Will Leeson bounded up the stairs to Ian McLawson's dressing room. It had been two years since they had seen each other on the set of their last holofilm. The next film was in preproduction, and Will had taken a speeder from the landing pad over to the new set as soon as he'd gotten in. He'd been doing dinner theater on Corellia and Ian had been acting in educational vids on Dantooine, hardly ideal for visits.

They had managed to keep up via vidcall, but Will had missed his friend badly. He'd been in love with him for years, since he'd met him on the first Heroes of the Galaxy movie, but Ian had shown no interest in him, other than friendship, so Will satisfied himself with that.

Will's equanimity had been sorely tested over the years by certain fans of the movie. They'd somehow gotten the idea, despite zero evidence in the script, that Ian and Will's characters, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, were lovers. They were the subject of endless speculation and fascination, not to mention thousands of stories depicting them as not just lovers, but the ultimate couple sharing one soul.

Will was devastated by these stories; he could not help but read them, but they made him feel miserable afterward when he came back to reality. No, he was not living in that happy little universe, no matter how much he wished he could.

He'd like to be a Jedi Master and have a lightsaber and a trusty Padawan, but most of all he'd like to have a lifebond with his Obi-Wan, Ian McLawson.

If all this weren't enough to try the overworked actor's patience, Ian had taken to joking about the stories, calling Will his 'Qui-love' with a laugh and sparkle in his eye. Irrationally, Will felt that he was being teased for loving Ian, even though he was certain that Ian didn't know about his feelings. Whenever Ian addressed him this way, Will passed it off with a chuckle, and changed the subject as quickly as possible, but it hurt a little more each time it happened.

Sure enough, as soon as Will walked into Ian's dressing room, Ian greeted him with "Hello, Qui-love. How are you?" He rose from his seat on the couch, and hugged Will to him.

With an effort, Will kept it light. "Fine, Ian, just fine." He never called him 'Obi' in a so-far-unsuccessful effort to discourage Ian's games. He joined Ian on the sofa.

"I'm so glad to see you again. I'm getting sick of this nomadic existence." Ian rubbed his forehead moodily. "I hear Zukas is in talks to make Heroes into a holoseries."

Will's heart made a quick trip up to pound in his skull. This was the first he'd heard of it. Instead of seeing Ian every couple of years, he'd be on the set with him every day. With an effort worthy of a Jedi Master, Will composed his face into a serene mask. "What do you think the chances are of that happening?" Much to his credit, his voice did not waver.

Ian grinned at him, which caused the rest of Will's circulatory system to consider heading in the opposite direction. "There's a good chance of it. Lucasta's heading the negotiations."

Overwhelming relief surged through Will. Heroes was as good as on next year's schedule already then. Better to have Ian's companionship, even with the ache it brought, than to be alone. He smiled back at Ian, letting a little more light slip out than usual, figuring that Ian would take it as happiness at finally having a steady job.

"Had dinner yet?"

"Are you paying?" Ian's smile quirked higher. He threw Will's coat at him, and they headed for the door.

As it turned out, Ian was right as usual. He seemed to be plugged in to the currents on the set. He befriended everyone, down to the poor extras without dialogue. Will was pleasant to his colleagues, but no one would consider asking him out for a drink but Ian.

Perhaps it was in part his role as imperturbable Jedi Master, but he seemed at a remove from the others. Ian bridged that gap when they were in company, and made others comfortable around him.

They were rehearsing a scene on the Council chamber set when they got the official news: Heroes was going to become a vidseries. Lucasta came up to them as they were being questioned by Yoda, and said, "Men, you're on permanent assignment as Jedi Knights. Congratulations." She hugged them both, and walked off humming.

The director called an immediate halt to rehearsal, and the entire cast and crew went to Ferwango's, an enormous bar a few blocks away from the studio.

Ian and Will sat together, and Ian kept turning on his stool in an excess of energy. After listening to the incessant creaking for a good fifteen minutes, Will finally reached out and grabbed Ian's shoulder, stopping him in mid-twist.

"Sorry," he said, looking completely unrepentant. "I'm just so wired about the job." He started tapping his boot against the footrest.

"So am I," said Will, looking anything but excited. By now, he'd had time to worry about how he'd handle constantly being near Ian without revealing too much. After all, Ian knew him better than anyone else. It was one thing to be with him a few weeks every two years, and quite another to see him daily. How would he ever hide his feelings from his best friend?

It actually was more difficult than Will had feared. There was no line between work and play for Ian. He seemed to expect Will's constant presence in his life on set and off. After they'd finished at the studio, he'd want to eat dinner with Will, then go to one of their homes to talk, play word games, or listen to music.

While Will thrived on his company, it was getting increasingly difficult for him to get through a night without brushing against Ian for the most innocent of reasons. He'd drive his Volvaran, so that the narrow width of the bench seat let their thighs touch. They set up games together, their hands bumping on the board. When they relaxed with girondi tunes, Will waited for Ian to pick a seat, then sat as close as he could without crowding him.

One night it all came to a head. They'd just returned from a Calamarian restaurant, and were in Ian's kitchen drinking tea.

"So, Qui-love, what do you think of their cuisine?"

Instead of passing it off with his usual good humor, Will decided to put an end to the teasing. "Will you please stop calling me that!" he almost shouted.

Ian stared at him as if he were Argula the Hutt, and said, "What is your problem?"

"It's just a blasted holovid, Ian. Why do we have to take it home with us?"

Ian opened his mouth, then closed it, clearly speechless for once. "Why does it bother you so much?"

At this rate, they were in trouble. There were four questions for each answer. Obviously the odds were against them.

Will did not have an answer to Ian's question, or rather, all the possible answers were too revealing. Therefore, he tried to retreat. "Let's just drop it, okay?"

Unfortunately, his friend had the tenacity of a Wookiee on steroids. "It's just a joke, Will," he said, probing for a reaction.

Will stayed determinedly silent. Ian let the subject drop perforce, but made up for it by worrying it over in private for hours. Long after Will had left, he lay on his back with his hands under his head, comfortable in the airy dark of the bedroom.

Why was Will upset over being called 'Qui-love'? It wasn't as if he could take it seriously. Qui-Gon was just a character in a vidseries. Actors had an innate perspective about that sort of thing. He'd said, "Why do we have to take it home?" Perhaps that was the problem. Will felt that Ian was too caught up in the fantasy.

If only he knew. Ian was dreaming, not about Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, but about himself and Will. His friend would never understand that; he just didn't see Ian that way. The last few months he'd maneuvered himself near enough to Will to feel his breath, but Will had never reacted, not at all. And Ian had been hoping.

The next day, over dinner at Fizzer's (the place for jivin' jazz, or so the sign outside claimed), Will apologized for his behavior. Sitting across from a nonplussed Ian, who believed he was the one who should be apologizing, Will got it out in fits and starts.

"Ian," (long pause, fiddle with napkin). "Sorry about last night. I shouldn't have gotten so worked up over nothing." Will gave Ian a sidelong look to see how he was taking this.

Ian took a deep breath. "We're cool, Will. But whatever it is that's bothering you, it's clearly not nothing if it gets to you like that."

Will sighed. His friend was still trying to figure him out. He'd have to offer some explanation. He wracked his brains for a plausible reason for his overreaction, finally deciding that a modified version of the truth would have to do since he lacked the creativity for anything else.

"When you start calling me that name," even now Will couldn't say it, "it feels like you're mocking me." To his dismay, a bright red flush crept across his face.

"Mocking you?" Ian exclaimed in surprise. "I was just trying to be funny. We're the stars of a kiddie series, Will, not a Bakedbeer play, for heaven's sake!"

Will finally was able to look at him straight on, and grinned in relief at the good humor on Ian's face. Ian never could stay mad long. But Will still had a question. "How come you never tease the others?"

"They're not my best friend," Ian said simply. He reached out to pat Will's forearm. "You never let on before last night that it was bothering you. I'm not psychic, you know."

"Thank goodness for that," Will thought gratefully.

Later on that evening at Will's apartment, the men were more at ease with each other than they'd been in a long time. Will was happy he'd put a stop to the teasing without explaining himself fully, and Ian was glad to see Will in a better mood.

Perhaps the sudden lifting of his burden could explain Will's incaution that night. They'd been watching a vid of Ian's Corellian Rogue holo.

As they sat side by side on the couch, Will ruffled Ian's hair on his way to click off the vidscreen. "Quite a dashing performance, my friend," Will said.

"What, now you can tease me but I can't tease you?" Ian said in mock indignation.

"What, now I can't give you a compliment?" Will said, matching his friend's cadence, tone for tone.

They both burst out laughing at exactly the same time. "Acting!" Ian snorted, and hit Will with a sofa pillow. That could not go unanswered, and pretty soon, pillows were flying across the room, occasionally hitting their targets, who were now almost breathless with laughter.

Will reached out to grab Ian's arm to stop his next shot. "Truce?" he asked hopefully.

"Truce," Ian agreed, reluctantly dropping the pillow to the carpet.

"You know, Ian, these pillows have a better use than this," Will said, then immediately cursed his wayward mouth. "Just what was that supposed to mean?" he thought, as he groaned inwardly.

"And what would that be?" Ian asked, playing innocent.

"Why, to cushion us on the sofa, of course," Will said infuriatingly.

This time, however, he did not receive a free pass from his friend. "That's not very imaginative," Ian said, his tone turning sultry.

Will's head snapped up as he looked at Ian closely. He'd never heard that inflection in his friend's voice before. "Imaginative?" he repeated abstractedly, as Ian stalked nearer. "Wha-"

He was cut off by Ian's kiss. "Ian, what are you doing?"

Ian chuckled against his lips. "If you can't tell, I'm not doing it right."

"Ahh, you are doing it right," Will said, touching his cheek. "It's just that I never knew you wanted to before."

"Oh, I've wanted to do this for years, but I wanted you as my friend more."

"That's never going to change," Will murmured against his hair.

"That's as close to an open invitation as I'm ever going to get. Sith take subtlety," Ian thought, as he deepened the kiss, throwing strong arms around Will and holding him to the spot.

Oddly enough, the direct approach seemed to work. He heard nothing in words from Will, but he hadn't known his friend could make such a variety of heavenly sounds. Soft sighs, guttural groans, needy moans: the ever-articulate Will's vocabulary had been reduced to these primitive noises. Oh, how Ian relished them.

"I love you, you know," said Will, finally coming up for air.

The blazing smile Ian gave him answered their entire backlog of questions, and raised delightful new ones. "I love you, Will." He took his hand and led him to the bedroom. "I think it's time for you to start teasing me." The look on Ian's face held pure mischief, and Will couldn't wait to begin.


End file.
